This was published 7 years ago
Women's March on Washington officially has a permit for January 21
By Perry Stein
District of Columbia police confirmed on Thursday morning that it issued a permit for the Women's March on Washington to gather for what it expected to be the largest demonstration around the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
The Women's March on Washington, which is scheduled for the day after the January 20 inauguration, plans to start its rally at Independence Avenue and Third Street SW, in front of the Capitol. From there, demonstrators will march west along Independence, although organisers said that they have yet to determine an official route.
Demonstrators hold signs and flags during a protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of the Federal Building in Los Angeles.Credit: Bloomberg
The permit, according to D.C. police, says the rally will disperse at the southern part of the Ellipse near the White House, at Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th streets NW. The Women's March on Washington's permit application estimated about 200,000 participants.
Organisers of the march had originally advertised that it would rally in front of the Lincoln Memorial, but organisers had not been able to secure their permits through the National Park Service.
The National Park Service, which handles such First Amendment permits, said it does not grant any requests until the Presidential Inauguration Committee, which plans the parade and other events to usher in a new president, maps out where it wants to hold inauguration-related activities.
Because so many entities - including the National Park Service, Capitol Police and D.C. police - have jurisdiction over parts of downtown Washington, it is likely that the demonstration organisers will still have to work with the National Park Service for parts of the march.
Janaye Ingram, the head of logistics for the Women's March on Washington, said last week that the group still has a pending application for a permit for various Park Service locations. Ingram said the group has not rescinded its application but is no longer interested in rallying in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
About 20 groups have applied for First Amendment permits on National Park Service land around the inauguration, although most have not yet been granted. Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the federal agency, says the agency won't issue any official permits until closer to Inauguration Day. In the meantime, he said, the National Park Service would be working with groups to find spaces where they can demonstrate.
Washington Post